Day met Night
by YanderePuppet
Summary: Zack survived. And Cloud is kicking himself. He shouldn't be falling for his best friend's girlfriend. Besides, he didn't think he should've survived. He had nowhere to go now, other than with the two of them... but, Zack seemed happy. So maybe...Maybe he had somewhere to belong. Even if the voice in his head said it wasn't with them, but with it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was originally supposed to be for Valentine's day, but well… it developed a plot beyond just "Love triangle". I know, the last thing I need now is one more chapter fic I'll likely never finish. I've only finished like maybe two of those total, regardless of the fandom. I'll finish something soon. Hopefully. Between attempting to write an actual novel, and attempting to join the military, as well as college, that might be hard**.

He entered, weary, tired, and still carrying his best friend, who'd showed some signs of life- finally! Thankfully, Tseng had actually found them first, and well, had gone against orders. So the three of them entered the church, opting to stay within the surveillance of the turks- for safety, Tseng had assured. And what better place than with someone already under their protection. He tried to help Cloud stand, and while it was shaky, the blond was sorta supporting himself. Then he called out.

"Aerith, I need help!" And she looked up, and her eyes went wide with eager relief, and she seemed extraordinarily happy. He had a feeling she would've tackled him if not for the sorry state that both himself and the blonde were in. "I'm sorry it took me so long-" He began, and was interrupted by Cloud's weight giving out beneath him so suddenly that he had a hard time propping him up right. Tseng stepped in and explained where Zack had been all these years. Zack was okay, letting Tseng explain for him, still in protective momma-hen mode, after taking care of Cloud for the last five years. And he was sorta back. Kinda. He felt eyes on his back once Tseng was done, and Aerith came over, holding a mug that she sometimes brought with her when she came to care for her flowers. It was a kind of tea that smelled well….flowery (honestly, if he found anything in her personal belongings that wasn't pink or flower themed…..he might just feel disappointed.) She was checking Cloud's temperature and other vitals with some strange magic. He never really got to see her use any before, though Tseng and Cissnei had told him she could heal anything, without exception. Her green eyes were hard and focused, and she seemed rather out of it. But she turned around and Cloud looked up at him, and his eyes were clear, and Zack sighed in relief. "It's alive!" He joked, doing his best Frankenstein impression. Cloud quirked an eyebrow and shook his head, and the confused face he made was just so…. _Cloud-like_ that he paused and just hugged him. And rambled. He was good at rambling. And Cloud just nodded and listened, and oh gods, Cloud was awake and functioning….and still Cloud. He wasn't all messed up like some of the others had been when they'd escaped-and-

"Zack….I can't breathe." He paused, realized he was smothering his friend to death, and backed off. He could hear Aerith giggle in the background, and then she grinned.

"Glad to finally meet you, Cloud." She said. Cloud looked up and nodded. He'd heard enough stories about her from Zack to fit the pieces together. But there was something there, Zack noticed, when Cloud's eyes-(the once pale icy grey-blue now a vivid cobalt) and Aerith's (Still so green, even greener than…. _no, don't go there. too soon)_ met. There was almost a sudden spark. He didn't think anyone else noticed, but he felt like fate just...clicked. Time paused. Froze actually. If anything, he didn't feel jealous like he should. He suddenly, felt...like he wanted this to happen. But….how…

-A Week later.-

Cloud was in the church. Zack hadn't come with today, so it was just him and Aerith. And he felt terrible for going with her alone. He knew…. she was _Zack's_ girlfriend, but….everything about her…..And he ….hated himself for it. But she was just so….kind _beautiful_ _ **perfect**_ in every way and he couldn't help but steal little glances every so often, at her, and the flowers, and the slit in her skirt, and just how tempting it looked when she was sitting like that, leaning over to care for each individual flower separately. How the pink of her dress accented her pale, slightly olive toned complexion. How her eyes were greener than the leaves and stalks of her flowers. How her cheeks would flush when she was frustrated. Even for a man who'd lost the last five years of his life to torture and betrayal, he couldn't help but feel happier than he ever had. Because… he had something to live for again. But he couldn't have her. He _wouldn't_. Because that'd be just like betraying Zack. And after everything, he just couldn't. So he sighed. Aerith paused, having clearly heard it.

"Everything alright?" She asked sweetly, her voice like clear-toned bells, so dulcet and smooth and _perfect._ He just nodded shyly. "You sure?" She came over, sun-warmed hands brushing his hair away to check his temperature. His pulse was racing. She clearly noticed, because she gave him this look. simultaneously apologetic and flirty. And he didn't know how to respond so he blushed and scratched his neck.

"Sorry." He whispered. For what, he didn't know. But he was sorry.

"For what, silly?" She teased. It had become the thing she said most to him, very quickly. …...He remembered Zack saying once, before everything that happened when all three of them were together " _Geez Cloud, if you weren't always so apologetic and blaming yourself for everything, it'd be exactly like having two Seph's in our group." And he remembered a chuckle beside his ear._

" _It's still mostly like that. Right, Cloud?" And hands, too warm, inhumanly warm hands patting him on the head. "Like having a shy, apologetic younger twin with a chocobo's ass for hair." And then they'd both laughed at his expression._

"Hello? Earth to Cloud?" Aerith chimed. Cloud shook his head really fast. These flashbacks were becoming frequent. No one ever talked about it. Except Aerith. And only with him.

"Sorry, just remembering something from before." He blushed again, expression sheepish. Aerith just fixed his hair, flashed a smile, and went back to her flowers. Cloud stared after her, wondering why he was having flashbacks so frequently. Why Zack never spoke of the labs, or Sephiroth, even in passing. If the man was still out there. He didn't really trust his own memories, didn't think he'd really killed the man. Something made that thought impossible to accept. Maybe it was the dreams. dreams where he heard that voice whispering, all kinds of dark and terrifying things. Dreams that left him screaming, awake and trembling at midnight with Aerith looking worried and Zack looking like he thought it was his own fault, but Zack wouldn't let him talk about them. Aerith did. So he'd told her. She'd started trying to stop the dreams. Whatever she did, it was helping. They'd not ceased, but….they were less frequent, not as long as before. So he was grateful to her. But how could he pay her back….?

-Later-

"Take her on a date. She'll like it." Zack said, after he explained his predicament.

"What?" Cloud asked, incredulous. "I can't."

"Bullshit. You can do anything, cause you-" Zack shut down immediately. Cloud knew what he was about to say though.

"Did I really?" He asked, timidly, fearful.

"I saw his body disintegrate in the mako, Cloud. He's dead. It's for the best, you saw how he was."

"But-" It couldn't be true. He couldn't have been able to...and… and everything went white, so much noise just kept going through his head. It hurt. His head was ...he was in _agony._ He clutched his head to try and drown it out.

" _ **Of course I'm not gone, Cloud."**_ That voice echoed through his being, and he sat up straight immediately. He could vaguely hear the others worrying over him, but, it wasn't important right now.

"Sephiroth…." He all but breathed. The others were suddenly quiet.

" _ **Hello, Cloud."**_ The voice purred. " **My** _ **Cloud."**_ The emphasis on the "my" only rivaled by the drawled pronunciation of his name. " _ **Don't you miss me?"**_ The voice pressed. " _ **My lovely one."**_ Cloud couldn't help but shudder, old feelings stirring up.

"I-" He began.

" _ **Come to me."**_ The voice interrupted, and he stood, the noise and the white and the pain fading back to worried eyes, and Aerith hugging him so carefully.

"You okay, Cloud?" Zack asked.

"I….." He started, feeling woozy and like he had to be somewhere…. He started trying to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"He's alive, Zack. I can feel it."

"What do you mean?"

"I …..it's hard to explain, I just have to go…"

"How are you going to get there when we're both on Shinra's radar?" Zack finally asked. That seemed to shake Cloud from his sudden trance-like state.

'I…" The blonde paused. "I don't know." He felt confusion, more than anything. About why Zack never talked about it, about why the man's voice always spoke into his head. (He thought maybe Zack believed he was crazy or in denial or grieving, but he really wasn't sure. He hardly remembered what happened afterward, and the entire event itself was so insane that he just felt numb about it. Sure, he missed mom and Tifa….but….it was hard to think of it without being interrupted by green haze and noises so he didn't bother too.)

"We could run away." Aerith suggested in that seemingly innocent way of hers, but the way she said it let them know she was serious. Cloud was uncertain.

"Then we'd all be in danger, and on the run and it was bad enough when it was just me and spike but then you'll be in danger too and-" Zack began to ramble hurriedly. Aerith simply raised an eyebrow in a manner that she'd likely picked up from hanging around Cloud so much the past month.

"Sheesh, I can handle myself." And to demonstrate, she whacked Zack over the head with her staff.

"I think it'd be fun." Cloud piped up. He'd spent a lot of time in the church with her lately, and he knew Aerith was right. Give her any materia really, and she could whoop serious ass.

"Who are you and what have you done with spike." Zack teased. "I didn't know fun was part of your vocabulary."

"Must've learned it from you." Cloud teased back, earning himself a noogie in response.

"Anyway," Zack began, suddenly serious. "We need to plan before we can do that, maybe find more people so we have extra protection." No one spoke. Of course, if they were going to escape from Shinra's "world wide empire" the only bet they had was Avalanche. None of them, (even Aerith, despite her fondness for keeping up her naive facade) wanted to be the one to mention the Eco-terrorist group. Not with both men in the room having had to fight them and witness horrors before. (Upon thinking of them, however, Cloud suddenly had to wonder how Shotgun was doing, he hadn't seen in for a while, really, and she was one of the first people to acknowledge him as more than a standard grunt. She'd even told him that she was surprised by his strength at one point, which shocked him, as he'd thought little of it.)

It just so happened, that the timing of their conversation was perfect. The news on the small TV Tseng had brought them was showing a Reactor bombing that had just happened, and footage of Avalanche escaping. The film was blurry, but he could almost make out all the figures….including….

"Is that….." Zack began….

"Tifa?" Cloud finished. "I think it is." Feelings rushed over him. Relief, worry, disappointment, excitement, hope. They hadn't really been close, but, that promise, and well, the fact that anyone from his hometown was alive…. maybe they could become actual friends (even if she had joined an organization that was so terrible. Then again, he saw no Raven's or any other Anti-Soldier in the video clip, so maybe it was a different one. It had been years since they were defeated anyway.) "Zack, we have to…"

"I know." And then they all fell into silence, pondering just how they would get to her. Because, they had few options. Eventually, Tseng would have no choice but to send them off, back to Shin-ra, and then….

"I'll pack our things. I'm good at that." Aerith finally said, breaking the heavy, tense, silence that had overtaken the room. Cloud nodded. Zack did too.

"Tomorrow then?" Cloud asked. The quietness and somber atmosphere told him he was right.

" _ **Soon."**_ The voice whispered. He shivered. No one said anything, but they went to bed with heavy hearts anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: For once, I'm adding this after writing. Should be less rambly, as I feel less pressed to get it out than normal. Should've done this from the beginning.

Posting this at 10:00 at night, and I have to get up early for my General Psychology lecture in the morning. Oh joy.. Well, if I survive, I'm that much closer to an associate's degree, then hopefully the US Air Force! I should try to finish my stories before then… I feel like military service will put a damper on my already abysmal schedule. So anyway, enjoy my ramblings, and my story if you want. Views are views. Too bad this isn't youtube, then I'd get paid. *dreamily stares off in the distance.* But nope, staying up late on a school night to post shitty fanfiction on my unpopular account in a darth vader onesie…. (Shh. It was a christmas present from grandma. I _have_ to wear it) So this story is loosely beta'd, and likely rambly. As usual. That's the point I was getting to, amidst my ramblings. I swear to Odin I don't sound so...bad… irl, I just get rather stream-of-consciousness on here for some reason. Oops.

I don't own anything, all right s to SE blah blah.

Everything crashed down in an instant. His world had narrowed to blood and bullet holes and the choking in his raw throat after so much screaming and too much raw emotion to even say "Yes Zack. You're more than just a hero." And what was he supposed to do without him? Zack was all he had left at this point, aside from the green haze and foggy memories that just got more and more painful to think of. And that presence that had come a while back, hated and _coveted,_ and _**familiar**_ , was quiet for a while.

" _ **Cloud….."**_ No snarky follow up. Just raw emotion and he cracked a little more. The hate was too new, the friendship too old, and he couldn't think straight through all the loss and as far as Cloud was concerned his own life ended after that first bullet wound.

" _ **If I… Help you get strong again, will you bury him properly?"**_ The voice prods. And as much as he's torn over his feelings, well….

 _Yes._ He thought without hesitation. Old feelings aside, Zack had been his world for five years. Best friend, _reason_ for living, even his very ability to feel even _remotely_ normal or happy anymore.

' _He deserves more than I can do. '_

" _ **That's why I'm here. We can do this together."**_ The voice said. And Cloud's breath hitched because it felt so _natural_. It was just like it was the same Sephiroth from before who'd always swindle Zack into paying at restaurants just to prove that he could. The one who used to buy him ice cream when the other infantry picked on him, and put his own coat over him when it was cold. The one who, before everything went bad, used to wear that smile just for the two of them because he'd lost trust in everyone else. But it wasn't. It was still _him_ but…. Everything had changed and…

" _ **It's alright Cloud. It's going to be alright."**_ And he couldn't see anyone there, but he felt arms around him, could _smell_ all the vanilla and flowers and leather that he associated with him, and it helped mask the scent of the blood, at least a little. Which of itself was comforting, if only slightly. And the rain had washed away the actual blood, so Zack really only looked like he was sleeping. Very, very peacefully, with that still-smiling face, and wisteria-blue eyes closed now...but Cloud couldn't remember closing them for him, since they were open when he died. He was finding he couldn't remember a lot of things, suddenly. Like what his mom smelled like after baking, or who his bunkmates were in the infantry...or...Then, suddenly, everything flashed white. There were helicopter noises above his head. Words, frantic and loud, echoing everywhere, but he didn't care. Couldn't hear them. Couldn't remember where he was, what happened, or that his best friend was dead in front of him and he was on the run. He even forgot his name, until _the_ voice, _his_ , voice, reminded him.

" _ **Cloud."**_ It called. " _ **I'm sorry, but you have to forget for now. I'll fix it later."**_

Cloud woke, gasping. It was all a dream. He knew because Zack was right on the bed next to his, and he could hear Aerith packing their bags downstairs and…

"You alright spike?" Zack seemed concerned.

"I had a dream you died…" He whispered. "It felt so real, like… like it actually happened." He was almost shaking, but no. After the hell he went through, _they_ went through to get here, he was not going to let himself be weak enough to be shaken by something as trivial as a dream. No. It couldn't happen because he had to be strong, because he didn't want to let anyone else down and-

"Cloud-" Zack started, looking rather concerned and comforting… "just don't think about it. I'm here, right?"

"I- well, yeah." He mumbled awkwardly. It was right at this moment Aerith barged in.

"I think our trip is canceled-" She began, and they both took the moment to notice the turks holding her, and went to fight back, fists out, stances ready. They went in to rescue her….only to black out at the sound of buzzing, and sudden sharp pain in their skulls. Reno was standing over them with his EMR still frizzling.

They came to in a cell, and every alarm in the building was going off. Aerith wasn't in sight but… Cloud could almost feel her in the cell next door. He knocked on the wall, and sure enough.

"You're awake? Is Zack there too?" She began, almost frantic.

"He's still out cold." Cloud replied. "But he's fine other than that." He looked long and hard at his best friend. The past few years hadn't been too kind, but, they were both holding up. Or, Zack was, so… he was trying to do the same. After all, Zack already lost basically everything, why add himself to the list?

"The guards keep talking about a breach. They said a barmaid from the slums was discovered to have been a part of avalanche, and went after the section she lived in by dropping the plate, but… her and some man broke in and are wreaking havoc." She shared. "I think they may be able to break us out, but…"

"They might not know why we're here or who we are…?"

"Exactly. I'm scared Cloud."

"I'm not exactly having a picnic myself." He was honestly not sure how he was holding himself together period. After everything he'd been through lately, it was a miracle he could function at all, really.

"At least we're all together.". She said finally. There was something strange about the way she said it...

"Yeah." Cloud replied, scratching his head. They continued to speak through the wall for a while. Zack woke up at some point and joined in the conversation, which continued until there were noises outside the cells. Sounds like keys and the doors to the adjacent cells opening. A familiar female voice came from inside the same room as Aerith a few minutes later.

"Tifa?" Cloud called, hopefully.

"That voice sounds familiar. Who are you?" She called back. Zack, fully his normal excitable self, yelled out-

"Tifa! You're alive! Isn't that a good thing? Huh, Cloud?"

"What…. CLOUD? Why are you in…" Hushed sounds came through the wall, Aerith

presumably telling her what she knew. There were unfamiliar voices from the other room, but Cloud left them alone. Instead he spoke with Zack who somehow remained calm, even though they were captured by Shin-ra again. He himself was shaking. He knew they were in the science division, and he really didn't want to go through that anymore…

" _ **Don't worry Cloud."**_ That voice whispered to him, stripping him once more of his senses. " _ **I won't let that happen again. Sleep for now."**_ His vision was still white, and it was getting late… and…. He felt drowsy….. So…he did... he slept.

-pagebreak-

He dreamed he was floating. Everything was surreal and vibrant when he stared at it, but when he looked away, he swore it turned as dark and bleak as the mountains back home. There were vasts forests, and so many farms, and mountains, and every kind of settlement imaginable. But soon, there was black obscuring his vision. Arms wrapped around him, then tightened their hold as though afraid he'd fall and be lost to them. After the arms seemed secure in their hold, the black moved away in a flurry of feathers, the world below them now covered in hot orange flame.

"What are you….."

" _Do you not like this?"_ A voice asked, right against the shell of his ear.

"I… No… I don't think I could." He said. "This is too much… and I"... he began to tremble, hands trying to make those arms let go, but, they wouldn't budge.

" _Are you sure, Cloud?"_ The voice pressed. " _Even if we brought it on together?"_

"Just… stop this...please…"

" _What part of it?"_

"All of it." he said. It was _too_ much. The fire was making him remember, and he didn't want to see it all again.

" _Very well."_ the voice said, and the fire stopped. They were settled on the ground now, looking, facing toward each other. Everything turned surreal, but darker, twisted. " _Is this good enough for you?"_ Those lips formed the words so calmly, that face looked no different than five years ago and it hurt to look, to remind himself why he should hate him.

"You're still here." He managed, finally. "That's definitely not enough." Those lips smirked at him.

" _Don't be like that, Cloud."_ The man all but purred, caressing his name while he uttered it. " _I'm not here to hurt you."_

"I can't really bring myself to believe that anymore." He said, his eyes felt wet. "Not after what you did." He closed them. Crying would make him appear weak.

" _I won't hurt you more than I believe you can handle."_ The man corrected. " _And you can_

 _handle much more than you think."_ Fingers wiped the tears that were forming away, meaning the man had seen them. But then, this was a dream, so why would he bother trying to hide them anyway? The idea that this was the real Sephiroth… Here in his head…. But then… After some of the things he'd overheard at the labs….

" _Yes, it's really me. There is no need to doubt that_ _ **,**_ _is there Cloud?"_ The man asks. Cloud shakes his head.

"I don't… know anymore… I…" He shook himself, his thoughts twisting and confusing more and more. "Everything's flipped on its head. Nothing is the same… I don't even know what to do, other than…. Pretend I'm still… That I can… Function like everyone else."

" _You shouldn't have to pretend, after what you went through. You don't have to for me- I'm the one who understands."_ For some reason...that made more sense than it truthfully should, and that confused him.

"I… I don't…" He said again, and lifted his hands to cover his face in shame, only for them to be held and pulled away. They were pinned to the sides of the one holding him there, in one of his large, gloved hands. Sephiroth's other hand was holding is chin. His breath hitched. "Don't-" Cloud said, knowing where this was going."I won't… I can't… not… not anymore-" But his protestations were ignored as deft fingers lifted his face up, and despite all the reasons not to, despite his own convictions not to… he complied. He lifted his face, gazing up, lips parted, eyes half lidded, and responded the second their lips met. The tears were flowing more freely now. He couldn't stop them or even care. Why try to hide them, from someone in his head…? The man pulled away from him, and next thing Cloud felt was his tongue, licking away the tears almost lovingly. His breath hitched. He felt like he'd been hit by a train- why was he still… why were they… This man killed his mom, and tried to kill him too. He shouldn't be-

" _You think too much Cloud."_ Sephiroth breathed against his face. " _Just forget- for now, anyway. Wouldn't want you wandering around with amnesia, now would we?"_ He wasn't sure why, but… he froze at those words, a terrible sense of deja vu overtaking him.

"What are you…?" He was cut off from his question.

" _Hush now Cloud._ " The man purred, caressing his cheek with one long, slender finger. " _It doesn't matter. We'll be together when all of this is over. Isn't that knowledge enough?"_

"But….why….?"

" _Why not,_ Cloud? _You didn't think I'd leave you to all these worthless, unsightly creatures did you?"_ His voice suddenly turned feral, _jealous._ " _THEY don't deserve you. THEY aren't the one's who stood by you. Everyone was too blind to see you as more than a pariah, canon fodder, a target. I'M the only one who knows better."_ As calm and quiet as the man sounded, there was something very intimidating about how he spoke… Cloud found himself almost _afraid_ of this.

"Your…. Lying." He managed. "Your stupid lying. I don't believe…." Buy it lacked conviction in light of his fear. He tried to pull away, but those fingers were gripping his chin, holding him in place, tilting his head up. He closed his eyes. But by dream logic, those green pools of poison still shone through. It felt as though the man was staring into his very core, stripping away his armor and just leaving him bare. Once more, their lips met, and he shattered just a little.

" _ **Wake up**_." Was whispered against his lips, then everything faded.

"Spike, wake up!" Zack's voice. Zack. Cell. He sat up. There was noise from outside the cell. Sounds like metal hitting the door. _Shlick_. The tip of a familiar blade pierced the metal cell door in a way that should be impossible. _Clank. Clatter._ The door fell from its archway, broken. There he was, all six feet of pure, muscled insanity, wrapped tight in leather casing. His hair flounced around him like a billowy skirt as he stepped in. Cloud barely registered Zack stepping in front protectively.

"Step aside, Zack." The man… (not-man?) ordered the same way he did in public years ago, as the top soldier.. His face was blank, calm, uncaring.

"I won't." Zack said with conviction. "I'm not letting you through."

"So cruel, and here I thought we were friends."Sephiroth all but purred. Cloud didn't have a good view of Zack's face, but he could tell it hurt him deeply. "Especially after I went through so much trouble to rescue the both of you."

"You know damned well why I'm so hostile. After what you did to us five years ago… especially what you did to Cloud, things are different.

Cloud merely watched them, feeling a bit fuzzy in his head, unsure what the cause was. He determined it must be shock, or some form of PTDS upon seeing this face again. Once so admired, trusted, _loved._ But now he had nothing positive to say about it. Death _Murder_ _ **Betrayal.**_ That's what it meant now. What it always would from now on.

"Cloud?" Tifa's voice came from the cell next door. "What's going on over there?"

"Uhh.." He begain, brain fuzzy.

"Ah, so you survived. Should've known." Sephiroth purred toward her. CLoud could feel the tension through the wall. The kind that came when someone thought they were dreaming. Or hoped.

"Cloud…. is.. . he really there." Tifa asked. Zack answered for him.

"Yes. He's here. He's trying to get to Cloud." Zack told her.

"Why to Cloud?" Tifa asked, numb and fearful.

"It's not important." Cloud cut in. He'd never told anyone about… well…

"On the contrary Cloud, I believe they deserve to know, after all, one mustn't hide something so important as this, should they? My _love."_


	3. Chapter 3

"..." Utter silence filled the whole building, the shock was palpable, the denial filled the very aura around them. Cloud couldn't see Tifa's face through the wall, or Aerith's. But he was willing to bet the both of them were angry, judging only by the sudden sound of grinding teeth, of clenched fists.

"What the actual fuck is going on?" Zack finally broke the silence, in his rare but terrifying seriousness he was even more blunt than usual.

"Oh, come now. You can't tell me you never noticed before. Every time the three of us went out, he came home with me. I always payed for him, gave him random little gifts. Was it not obvious?" That smirk, that smugly lilting tone, those cruelly glittering eyes. Cloud looked at the floor, half to avoid seeing it, half to hide his own shamefaced blush. "Now," the man's voice continued, inescapable, low, _purring_ , "Stand aside. You can't keep what's mine away from me forever you know."

"Cut the crap Seph. Back off and leave us alone." Cloud had never heard Zack sound this way before. The normally hyper and friendly man had all but literally hissed the words. The man was stiff as a board, all the way up to his face. There wasn't even a smile. Sephiroth on the other hand was sporting a razor sharp smirk on his face, the shadows cast by the red emergency lights casting eerie shadows on his sharply angled face, making the already terrifying features even more nightmarish.

"Hmph. Be that way then. I suppose it's my fault for letting you earn my trust so undeservingly." Cloud's eyes flicked back up in time to watch Zack flinch away as though pained, then to see him flinch again shortly after at the loud ringing of a slap filled the small cell. Those green eyes turned to him, face softening momentarily. "Cloud…" The man called him now, face and voice imperious. "Come here."

"..." He couldn't think of a reply. His mind felt a little foggy, his back was ramrod straight. Slowly, he took a step forward.

"ZACK! What's going on in there?!" Tifa yelled the question, voice echoing loudly over and over. She was banging on the wall, but even her strength wasn't enough.

"Cloud…" Zack nearly whispered, startled. "Don't… don't listen. He's not the same remember? Remember what we overheard in the labs? You…. D-don't let it happen…."

"Someone had betta' tell me just what the fuck is goin' on in there!" An unfamiliar voice said from the other room. Cloud normally would've paused to examine the odd, deep slums accent that he rarely heard anywhere, but… he couldn't really hear the others right now. He continued stepping forward, gaze focussed, expression blank. He couldn't care about anything else now, not when everything he was told him he _needed_ this. ( _ **Closer. Closer… I … ne .. I .. I .. Need…. Have to… have to get closer. Have to be with him. HAVE TO.)**_ Before he knew it, he was already standing so close that they were pressed together. Those arms wrapped around his small form. He could feel a small pressure on his scalp, presumably a face being rested atop his head. His presumption was proved correct as those lips parted to speak, tickling him in the process. The air from them caused his hair to move a little bit, as they shaped themselves around a deep chuckle.

"Hehe, good boy." The purr sounded from above. He flushed, unexplainably proud of himself. Did he still want to please this monster... after everything….? Was it related to the stuff he heard in the labs about cells and mind control? He didn't know. Maybe both. Maybe it was just confusion and the shock he still held, the numbness still there. He'd never fully adjusted, was still so messed up inside, still couldn't wrap his head around what happened. Could that really explain this though? This sensation of _completeness?_ "Hush Cloud. You really do think too much. It's not important, right? All that matters is that we're together. I." there was an odd amount of emotion to that voice, nearly choking the speaker it seemed. It was actually palpable. Cloud couldn't think of a time he'd hear the man sound this way. "I never let go of you again. We'll never be apart… never again. I waited so long… just to… hold you like this again.." Even Zack and the crass seeming man next door went silent. Tifa's wall punches ceased. THe overwhelming sorrow in that voice was too much. Upon hearing it, Cloud simply… shattered. Gave in to the odd fogginess.

"S-" Cloud managed, trying to sound comforting. "Seph…" He nuzzled his face into the chest before him, embracing the man back. He wasn't the one in need of reassurance, he knew. Those reassurances pointed toward him were really Sephiroth trying to convince himself it was alright, that they were together. The arms around him tightened, trembling faintly.

"I… don't leave me… promise you won't…."

"I promise."

"You bastard let go of him!" Zack yelled, even as the both of them disappeared. He stared at the spot where they'd been, no occupied by nothing but air and darkness. Walking out in the hall, he found a corpse. One of the guards. He picked up their key card and opened the other rooms. Tifa and Aerith assaulted him the second they were let out.

"What happened? What did he… where'd Cloud go?" Tifa demanded. At the same time Aerith piped up

"Cloud's… not coming back… is he?" Before Zack could even try to comfort her, the large bear of a man from the other room piped up.

"Well shit, judgin' by the sound of that exchange I'd say there ain't no way in hell that boy is comin' back. Now would someone finally tell me what in the everlivin' fuck jes' happened?!" It was Tifa who piped up.

"Let's….just…. Escape first, Barret, then I'll explain everything. Or, Zack and I will, that is." She said, likely in too much shock to explain it immediately anyway.

Up on the roof, two figures waited in the shadows, while a third was limp at their feet. The taller figure turned to the smaller.

"You've made me so proud today, do you know that?" Pale, corpse-like lips turned up, smug, happy, victorious. The smaller looked up, once blue eyes glowing bright chartreuse, casting a harsh light on that dark expression. A small pair of fuller lips turned up eerily as well, matching effortlessly.

"I did?"

"Naturally. I didn't think at first that you'd come along so easily. You remember everything I've told you, right?" The taller pressed, testing the other.

"Of course master. I'll make sure they don't suspect a thing. And with Shin-ra in disarray like this, they'll be too distracted to notice." The smaller tilted his head up expectantly, blonde tufts swaying with the movement. The taller purred.

"So good. So very good." He angled his face down, pressing their faces together. "And don't worry love, we'll be together again sooner than you think." And with that, the taller disappeared, leaving the blonde to collapse in much the way a marionette does with no one to hold it up.

"So… you talk, huh?" Zack asked the odd, red-colored lion creature. Something Hojo had kidnapped no doubt, especially since it was on the same floor as they were.

"Naturally, as do you." It replied, only a mild spark of sass to the calm voice it carried. "I'm quite lucky you found me, as I was uncertain how many guards might actually be left."

"Well, We'll find out soon enough."

Everyone froze when they reached the top floor, stopping to stare wide eyed.

"Is that…" Barret began

"The president." Zack finished for him. "Yes. And that's the Masamune stuck through him. It's kinda unlike Seph to just… leave it anywhere…"

"He must be trying to make a statement." Aerith added for him.

"I think she's right." Red supplied. Tifa just stared, horrified and trembling.

"We should leave before Rufus arrives, assuming he hasn't already." Zack cuts in, dragging her and Aerith away.

"Fo' damned sure. This shit is jes' too spooky to wait aroun' for." Barret chimes in, actually helpfully, breaking the other's from there reverie. As the head out, something tells Zack to check the roof, just to be safe. The others seem confused, but don't question, even as Zack breaks into a sprint.

"CLOUD!" He Exclaims. Joy, relief, fear. And it really is Cloud laying there, unconscious. And… Rufus Shinra, cold and dead beside him, a sword Zack doesn't recognize stuffed through his throat. "That's… gonna cause a lot of problems." Tifa, beside him now, didn't care much for that, focus entirely on shaking Cloud awake, checking him for injury. As blue eyes blinked open, she stared intensely.

"Cloud? Are you alright?"

"Huh…? Tifa?...Zack? How'd we escape? Why does my head hurt? Where's Aerith?"

"I'm right here Cloud." Aerith soothes, smoothing an errant spike from his blood soaked

forehead. Cloud closes his eyes and flinches.

"Where… Where's…"

"Cloud…" Tifa says mournfully, upset at how broken that face looks, at how fragile thoe mako tainted tears are.

"Where'd… Seph… where'd he go? What did I just…."

"Spike, it's all okay, everything's just fine. Just, please...tell me if you can stand or if we need to carry you out, alright?" Zack comforted and intoned, voice gentle.

"Za..ck…. I… nothing is okay…. I… I'm fine physically… this… blood isn't mine… I… I just…" Blue eyes were blown wide, fearful, panicky. "I just killed a bunch of people… I don't know… I can't… I just… There's was fog everywhere. I couldn't think much, all I remember is him goading me to, and … and… all the blood… there was so much…. I I just… Zack what's happening to me?"

"Shhh, spike. It'll be alright. We'll figure this out, okay? Let's just get out of here. I promise, I won't let this happen again. Just… just relax, alright?"

"Shit! The backup just got here. We need'ta leave now." Barret barked at them.'

"C'mon spike, lets go." Zack lifted him up, carrying the trembling blonde so carefully. Aerith was whispering to him, Tifa followed them all out with a worried heart.

"Sword…" Cloud croaked...looking at Rufus' body. "I.. I might need…" Zack hefted it out with his other hand, attaching it to his back beside the Buster sword.

"We can't all fit in the truck…" Tifa stated after the other's had situated themselves within

"Wait, where'd those spiky asshole's go?" Came the Barret's…'reply.' Right as the others' turned to see what he meant, Cloud and Zack each made their appearance on the back of two separate motorcycles. Tifa grinned in spite of herself and revved up the truck, heading out of the building.

"Shitheads." Barret said, but there was a tinge of humor there. "But at least we're free."

"In case you've forgotten," Red piped up, "we still need to escape the military men who've arrived from the other buildings. And Escape this wretched city all togther."

"Yeah yeah. Just wake me when we're out, ya mood spoiler.'

 **AN: And, it's shorter than I wanted, but hey, I wrote this in less than three hours and didn't proof read. Um, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Solstice, Yule… whatever else you celebrate (if you do.) And sorry for this...thing…**

 **Um… yeah, this isn't gonna be light-hearted really…**

 **Sorry. I was trying…**

 **I just**

 **...I don't know** _ **how**_ **to do that….**

 **DISCLAIMER: All characters/locations/whatever are property of Square Enix and not me.**


	4. Chapter 4

Sensing that Avalanche's members had seen the "message" he'd left atop the Shinra tower, (And oh! How great and beautiful of a message it was! There were few deaths he enjoyed bringing on more than this one.) the tall superhuman being summoned his sword back to his hand, still slicked with the dripping crimson of president Shinra's spilt blood. In a flash, Heidegger's blood joined it. He cut the robust male's head clean off in one clear strike. Cold, calculating. One more obstacle down. Of course, he must do this. With Rufus down this time, it was better to eliminate all the power hungry figureheads he could. Make sure no one would lead Shinra against him. Without them, Avalanche was likely to fail. And with Cloud inside his grasp… oh how the tides had turned. It came time for him to hunt down and corner Reeve Tuesti. The man wasn't power hungry, per se, but was annoying enough in his persistence to rebuild... Ah, what did it matter. He wouldn't get to do that this time. With a _shlick_ and a fountain spray of arterial blood, Reeve's head joined his collection. Then Scarlet's, once he hunted her down as well. Teleportation abilities really made it simpler. And of course, he was a mastermind tactician. No one could possibly hide from him. But the main threats were dealt with. He knew better than to let them fight for Shinra's throne. Neither Palmer or Hojo would be an issue, but he left the two dead executive's heads on pikes in front of their crashed helicopter, and abandoned beach chair, respectively as a warning anyway. Pleased with his work, he mentally checked in on Cloud, noting the ease with which he slaughtered those who dared tail him from the Shinra building. He watched his prized possession fight a giant tank on the outskirts of Midgar. He had to chuckle at the blond for his choice of vehicle. The same Hardy Daytona that he knew the blond had drooled over for years at Shinra. He purred to himself. Soon he'd get him an even better bike. Oh yes, much better. One fitting of his prize. Of his EVERYTHING. Yes. And soon they'd be reunited again. He couldn't wait.

Cloud left the room as Zack and Tifa filled the others in about Nibelheim. He didn't want to hear about that again, he might give something away. He might not entirely get why he agreed to not mention anything, why he agreed to play by _his_ rules, but… he couldn't seem to back away from them. He really didn't want anyone to get hurt. He thought maybe if he just played along the others might be safe. At least, that's what he told himself, as he walked. The fuzziness boiled up again, and he let out a silent giggle. The others wouldn't hear anyway. He wasn't in the inn anymore. In fact, he'd left town, wandering around the plains out of sheer boredom. His mind felt like heavy fog, and white static, and joy _euphoria_ _ **need.**_ His blood chanted to him. He followed its call, further, further, near the beaches behind the town.

He killed a few Kalm Fangs out of sheer boredom and a foreign compulsion. Killing time. Practicing. He told himself no one would die for him in his own thoughts earlier, but… his fading grip on sanity was gone again, leaving a rampaging doll in its wake. His actions were at the behest of the one who wanted him to become almost an equal in strength, who wanted him to prove how capable, how _loyal_ he was. His body kept ramming into anything that moved, sword choppy, brutal, and slaughtering all it came across. His mind, on the other hand, kept looping the events of the day back to him, looped back what he'd done (all the blood. So much. How many of the employees we're his kills? He didn't know. THey both killed so, so many people...), what he'd agreed to do (he _needed_ too. Anything to please _him.)_ He fell to the ground, landing with a sturdy plop that would've broken the tailbone of a normal human, laughing so, so very hard with his maniacal bliss. He was still _loved._ He wasn't alone. He hadn't really killed the one he loved, and he was helping him, working for him! Now if only the rest of himself felt that way. Oh well, let those still-human sides of his soul, _his mind_ , work as coverup for him. After all, _they_ needed to be fooled in order for this plan to work. And he'd been assured they were easy to fool, but he was careful anyway.

He sighed suddenly. He came to his sense, forgetting what had just happened, what he'd just done. Looking around, Cloud shivered in fear. Had he really done this? He couldn't remember, but something intangible said it was his own doing. Some horrific, insidious voice strung out like silken thread and graceful spider webs alongside the back of his mind. Two voices. One sounding like his own, the other… Well he'd know _that_ deep-toned, condescending voice _anywhere_.

" **Of course it was me."** The voice (his own) sounded.

" _So forgetful, of course you did this. After all, it's your sword coated in blood, and there's a Kalm fang's severed head in your lap."_ The voice of his _lover_ , his _enemy_ purred _._ crooned even.

"I … I…"... Looking down, Cloud saw that there was indeed a fanged mouth hanging open from a severed head, canine and wolf-ish in feature. His body, his clothes were soaked and squelching and crusty with blood and other visceral noted the slaughtered heap of wildlife and monster corpses piled around himself.

" _ **Shhh"**_ the voices whispered as one. He remembered what Zack had said earlier, in the cell. (" _Don't you remember what they said in the labs? About mind control?")_

"Why?" He asked sobbing. "Why are you doing this?" Why would his love need to _control_ him? Why was he being used so… callously?

" _Isn't it obvious, love? You're_ _ **MINE**_ _!"_ A deep cackle filled his head, drowning out the sound of the waves a few feet away, the fangs howling at the night sky, even the crickets disappeared beneath this insane laughter. That voice grew even more assured of itself than usual, cloying and resonating all at once. " _Naturally, I'll do anything to protect you. ANYTHING. Even if it means forcing your hand. Even if it means I keep you with me against your own will"_

"I don't want this. Stop… Please…. Just…" He felt his hands shaking, his gaze wavering. This was absolutely _horrific_ and… "You don't need to resort to this!"

" _Hush love. Shhh. It's alright. It'll be alright, you'll see in the end. Trust me."_ The words were a brush against his face, his skull. " _You'll understand why I must do this. Until then, trust in me. Completely. Trust me so completely there's no room for doubt. Trust no one else. Only me. You'll be safe. Everything will work out. All you need to do is trust me. Trust me and obey me"_

"I…" his eyes were throbbing. Like they were dilating too quickly. Over and over shrinking and growing and shrinking and growing. His own voice chimed in again.

" **I… Trust you. I'll do anything you ask. I promise."** He tried to denounce that voice, but his lips wouldn't move. He reached up to touch his own face, felt his eyes widen. Suddenly, there was softer laughter. It was his own. And he couldn't stop it, didn't even want to. He laughed more. He was right afterall. He'd do _anything_. Kill _anything._ He trusted and needed and confided only in _him_ after all

" _Good boy."_.

A sharp pain shot through his skull. He let himself succumb to the urge he had to curl up, passing out as he lay tightly furled into a ball. The last thing he saw was the glow his gaze cast on the sand, and he swore that it wasn't blue like it should be, but a sickly mako green.

" _So precious."_ A voice said, but from the figure over him, not in his head any longer. Nimble fingers caressed errant blond tufts into place before lifting the limp form, carrying him back, further from town, toward the marshes, still covered in the evidence of his episode like a crimson stain of sin. " _Nothing can come between us anymore."_

Zack was worried. He could see it on Tifa's face too. They'd both figured the blond wouldn't stick around to hear the most traumatic piece of his existence spoken about and relived, but…

"Something's wrong with him. Have you guys noticed?" Tifa piped up once he was clear out of the building (and earshot.)

"He's just been through a lot. I'll explain what happened after… Well… We fill in the others about what started all this." Zack replied. Aerith stayed silent, watching through the window even after the blond was no longer visible. Eventually she noted something odd.

"Doesn't he seem rather inconsistent? Like he's one way for a while, then suddenly, there's an entirely different Cloud who seems… a lot more... hollow. It's like…."

"Like someone else is in control?" Zack interjected, helpfully.

"You mentioned mind control earlier today. Will you tell us what you meant?" Tifa chimed in.

"Let's explain Nibelheim to the others first." Zack said, visibly tired. "Tell them where this living hell of mine and spike's began."

"Right. We should."

"Well? Get on wit' it already. Shi't." Barret mumbled, grouchy and confused.

"Okay. So me an Spike were assigned to accompany Seph on this reactor mission. Well, I say assigned, but he just picked us because he preferred friendly company, and we were kinda his only friends at the time. Incidentally, the mission briefing contained mention of an old friend who had betrayed him before as a possible cause of the reactor's issues. Wouldn't really surprise me. Genesis was kinda out of his mind, did a lot of other weird things like that. So anyway, spike's all nervous and puking his guts out on the floor, ya'know? So I keep up a friendly banter with them both the whole way, kinda annoyed mister high and mighty silver-pants with my "childish-ness" but Cloud seemed a bit less nauseous, so I kept going. We get there, Helmet goes on. At first, I couldn't tell him from the other grunt assigned, same height, so, confusing. Anyway, Seph has some weird sensing abilities, called him over. Asked him what it felt like, bein' home again after two years. They had an awkward exchange where Seph revealed how he has no family or anything. We head in. Spike runs off to see his mom after a bit. Nothing really happened the first day. Except-"

"Except I asked him if he knew Cloud, but he lied cause Cloud asked him to hide his identity. Something about being embarrassed that he wasn't in SOLDIER." Tifa interjected.

"...Yeah... " Zack replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Aerith swatted his arm.

"You shouldn't lie to people!" She chided. "Even if it is for a reason."

"Sorry. Sorry, both of you… Anyway-"

"Damni't! I'm lost a'ready. What is even going on?" Barret groused, tired and likely cranky after the day they'd faced, his mind just couldn't quite keep up. Besides, this wasn't really something he felt he needed to know.

"Let me finish. It'll make more sense at the end." Zack sighed. "So anyway…"

-(everyone knows the Kalm flashback already, so, time skip.)-

"So, you were both captured by the scientists at shinra? What happened then? What did Hojo do?" Red finally piped up, curious.

"Well, this is where it gets even more fucked up. Apparently he had some wacky hypothesis about Seph, and his alien mom-thing, and he was upset that someone could even beat Seph, so naturally he tried to clone him. Said he'd come back and take control of everyone that was turned into a clone. But um… it was different from the Genesis clones I mentioned earlier. But anyway, his serums didn't work on me, since soldier training made me resistant to mako and without the weakening effect from it, the alien cells couldn't corrupt my DNA. But spike…. He fell into it. He was in a coma for about 3 years because of it. When we got to Midgar, I learned how badly it truly affected him. He has memory lapses sometimes. I've seen his eyes go green, all cat pupiled and everything. He'll walk around all blank and creepy eyed whispering Seph's name at midnight, then snap out of it, and forget where he is. He has horrible nightmares, and I swear I've even seen him talk to his reflection in a state of panic. He broke the mirror. "

"I can attest to seeing those too." Aerith said. "He seem perpetually confused and worried, but I've noticed chamomile tea infused with a cure spell seems to help. I put a bouquet by his bed too. He says the flowers calm him."

"I think Aerith's powers are the only reason he can manage to function day to day, but…"

"I can't help him all the time, and I'm at a loss of what to do." She said.

"Can you teach me some of the methods?" Tifa asked, curious. Afterall, she wanted to help too.

"I… well, I can certainly try."

"We didn't need to murder these people just to stay the night here. This isn't even much of a place to sleep. And two of them were just children" Cloud reasoned, almost _whined_ , upon waking.

"That conscience of yours is a serious problem. Why can't you grasp the concept that _everyone_ must, and will fall to us?"

"...I just don't see how murdering everyone in existence is a good idea. It seems… pointless."

"Is you questioning the purpose in destroying a meaningless world supposed to have a point as well?" The silver haired man countered.

"Well…" Cloud began. "I…uh...um…" But a finger pressed to his lips, effectively shushing him. He lightly flicked out his tongue on a whim.

"You fall into the perfect behaviors so easily, don't you? I take it the mako hasn't taken that from you." The taller male pressed, as he pressed his fingers slightly harder against the blond's soft lips. Whispering praises as they parted to suckle the fingertip. "Why don't we spend the night like we used to? I'm sure the stables are bound to have rope somewhere… Strip down while I look." There was a bit of rummaging, and he hurried himself into a state of undress. A few more minutes after achieving nudity, and he felt his wrists being tied together. He didn't remember it ever being this tight. The coarse rope made its way around his ankles next, forcing him to stay in a kneeling pose, arms on his back. It was tied to tight and too short, and caused a sharp shot of pain up his spine. "That should be sufficient."

"...hurts a little." He complained, not sure if he should.

 _Thwack._

"Do you want to complain again?" The voice he loved, so much colder, so much more clipped. He hadn't really been so harsh back before. This was… off.

"N-no. I… I won't." He managed, cheek red and stinging.

"Good." There was the softer voice he was used to, gentle fingers cradling his face. "You're stronger now. You can put up with a lot more, and I naturally expect more from you. Do you understand?"

"Yes." He said, looking at the straw covered floor.

"Good. Look at me." The command came. Cloud lifted his head, meeting his gaze. The fingers at his chin tightened, the thumb swiped over his pouting bottom lip. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said, voice shaky, but certain

"Then you understand I'm only doing what's best for us both, right?"

"O-of course." He replied, nodding. The hand moved up, petting his head as though he were some small pet animal.

"Now, lets spide this up, shall we? I've always wanted to take you in front of an audience…"

"But there's no one-"

 _Thwack._ A riding crop came down on him hard.

"Wrong. Look." And he did, seeing the dead eyes and still gaping mouths of the Ranch's personnel. He formed an "oh" but didn't voice it, choosing to avoid further punishment for now. "I seem to have forgotten an important part. Oh well, I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." There was a pause as he chuckled. "Come here and unzip me."

 _This,_ this was familiar. _This_ he knew. Ignoring how ashamed he felt now, ignoring the wrongness in favor of getting this over with, of maybe helping them both regain their sanity, he awkwardly crawled, a difficult task without his arms for sure, and, raised an eyebrow. They both knew those pants had NO zippers. So instead, he made a show of opening the belt with his teeth,and pulling down the tight leather. With the full erection out in the open now, he paused. It wasn't this big before. He wasn't sure he could even take this size. A warning growls snapped him out of his apprehension, but not before the riding crop was brought down a little _too_ hard. He didn't even know his skin could _break_ anymore, but there were small droplets of blood welling up. A gloved finger swiped them up, and he watched as it was lapped up.

" _Reliving this part of the past will certainly be fun."_


End file.
